The Changing Pattern of the Quantum of Biomedical Waste Generated from a Tertiary Care Hospital in Delhi

Background As a consequence of growth and advancement in health care, production of health care waste has seen an exponential upward trend. Waste from individual health care facilities can vary based on the nature and scope of health care services they provide. Objectives To analyze the amount of biomedical waste generated by a tertiary care hospital. Methods Biomedical waste generated by the hospital from 2005 to 2019 was quantified and analyzed to calculate the total amount of incinerable waste, recyclable plastic waste, and sharp and glass waste. The amount of waste generated per bed per day and the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) were also calculated. Results The total amount of biomedical waste generated in 2005 was 65,658 kg, which has substantially increased to 374,712 kg in 2019, with a CAGR of 12.5%. The hospital was producing average biomedical waste of 0.179 kg/bed/day in 2005, which has increased four times in 2019 to reach 0.709 kg/bed/day. The overall estimated plastic waste was 31% of the total biomedical waste in 2005 and 53% in 2019. Conclusion The generation of biomedical waste is likely to see significant upward trends unless diligent deliberations are held between different stakeholders in regard to the reintroduction of reusable materials and waste reduction strategies.

The impact of hospital competition and insurer concentration on health care volume and cost in Dutch hospitals

This study analyses the effect of spatial concentration of general hospitals, the appearance of independent treatment centers (in Dutch: Zelfstandige Behandelcentra: ZBCs) and the concentration of health insurers on production volume and costs since the introduction of market-oriented health care reforms in the Netherlands. We use regression analyses of 1,345,144 patient-level hospital data for fifteen major diagnosis treatment combinations (in Dutch: Diagnose Behandeling Combinaties: DBCs), representing 70% of the managed competition segment (the so-called B-segment). We find that spatial concentration of hospitals and concentration of insurers do not affect health care production volume. More competitive hospital markets are associated with higher cost of most DBCs studied. Surprisingly, hospitals operating under insurers with high monopsonic power incur higher average DBC-cost than hospitals operating under insurers with more dispersed power. The number of independent treatment centers in the hospital’s vicinity is positively related to health care volume and average cost.

THE IMPACT OF INCREASING RETIREMENT AGE ON HEALTH SERVICES AND ECONOMIC GROWTH IN BRAZIL

This paper uses the Zon and Muysken (2001) model to investigate the effect of increasing the retirement age on health care production, human capital accumulation, and economic growth. All three sectors are interrelated, since the overall level of health affects both workers and the accumulation of human capital, while a higher level of human capital is related to better quality of health. And, finally, health and human capital affect the output of the economy. From the economic growth point of view the results seem to be positive. Increasing labor availability raises productivity in the health sector, which ultimately improves labor productivity, resulting in increased capital accumulation and economic growth. On the other hand, it is estimated a reduction in the propensity to consume and a smaller portion of the labor force allocated in the health sector.

Implementation of the Street Outreach Office in the perspective of health care

ABSTRACT Objective: To report the experience of implementation of a clinical equipment of health care production to homeless people, denominated Street Outreach Office. Method: Experience report in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Results: The Street Outreach Office implementation resulted from a demand for health care practices for homeless people. This implementation had intersectoral articulations, causing health professionals to carry out street care practices, which led them to strive for public policies, to rethink their actions in order to increase the resolution of care to this population. Conclusion: We should emphasize the importance of health professionals to reinvent their practices, daily, seeking partnerships and acquisition of new knowledge in order to achieve results that can reduce the demands of these individuals throughout their life routes.